Loosing power uphill or under load any ideas?

[restoreid]

Never turn it over with the starter With a screwdriver down the plughole you will punch a hole in a piston for sure Get a mate to turn it over with the fan

[Worby876]

I just found this on Old Holden.com

http://holdenpaedia.oldholden.com/Rockers_and_Pushrods#Setting_Non-Adjustable_Valve_Gear:

Thought Id post it in case others might find the step by step instructions of interest.

Setting Non-Adjustable Valve Gear:
1. Any Rocker Gear work must be performed with the Rocker Cover removed so a new Rocker Cover Gasket is a must.
2. The Side Covers will have to be removed to replace the Hydraulic Lifters so new Side Cover Gaskets will be requiired as well.
3. Removing old Lifters can be a challenge. They sometimes mushroom and have to be hammered out from underneath after removing the Camshaft. I've been able to remove them by "twist lift and lower". Repeat that process with some powerful Multigrip Pliers. It took a long time.
4. Before fitting new Hydraulic Lifters leave them soaking in Oil so that they will fill
up and lose all the air in them. This will save a lot of problems during the initial startup.
The Oil will flow through them faster and minimise the risk of Valve Gear wear. They can also be pumped full of Oil by standing them vertically in a container and pressing the inner plunger
up and down with a Pushrod.

5. Once the new Hydraulic Lifters have been installed fit the Pushrods making sure that each one is centred.
6. Make sure the Pushrods are clean including their centres. The centre of the Pushrod carries
Oil up to the Rocker Arms. If it's blocked no Oil will flow and the Valve Gear will fail. Make sure the Rockers have holes drilled in them where the Pushrods fit. The holes allow Oil to flow
from the Pushrods into the Rocker Arms.
7. Next, fit the Rockers, Saddles and Bolts as a complete set in pairs but leave them all with the Rocker Bolts finger tight. Rocker Saddles are marked with Arrows which must point towards the Valves on straight 6 Cylinder Holden Engines.
8. Make sure the Pushrods are centred in the Rocker Arms by rotating the Pushrods and confirming each Pushrod can turn easily.

9. Look for any Pushrods that are in the closed position by comparing them. Find a pair that
has both Pushrods sitting equally at the lowest height and start torquing down that pair of Rocker Arm Bolts.
10. The Rocker Arm Bolts should be torqued down to 28 ft/lbs with the Valves in the closed position. Tighten them a part turn at a time allowing each Hydraulic Lifter time to compress.
The Lifter will take about 10 seconds to compress per quarter turn of the Bolt.
11. Rotate the Crankshaft until each Valve pair is closed. One at a time torque the Bolts
down allowing time for the Lifters to settle.
12. After torquing each pair, check to see that each Pushrod can be rotated freely. This will
prove that the Lifter has settled and properly adjusted to nil clearance.
13. If any Pushrod cannot rotate freely when its Valve is closed, and after a settling period,


the fault will have to be investigated. Tightening the Rocker Arm Bolts too rapidly can cause the Oil Hole in the Rocker Arm to indent the Pushrod end and prevent it from rotating. Free rotation is important to minimise wear of the Valve Gear and the Camshaft since the Lifters are rotated with each opening of a Valve and cause the Pushrods to rotate with them.
14. Oil the centre of each Rocker Arm.
15. Perform a startup and make sure that Oil is spurting from the end of each Pushrod into
it's Rocker Arm.
16. Make sure the Engine is firing equally on all Cylinders.
17. After running the Engine briefly, shut it down and make sure that the Pushrods are still free to rotate.
  

[rossie]

turn it by fan belt or by putting a couple of bolts in the harmonic, then use a bar of some sought. By joltting the starter is to hard as it rolls over top dead centre. Oh, and dont leave the screw driver in the plug hole while you turn it over. Try looking at the mark on the harmonic first. Remember, if it runs good on petrol

[Rothu]

First off, what you posted is correct procedure of resetting your lifters. By all accounts, you do not need to remove your lifters unless your cam shaft is totally worn out. This would take a dyno tune to assess. Not your problem here. If you can have the dizzy cover off, noting the firing order, and seeing how it goes from one point to the other, you can do it without anything in the spark plug inlet. By having all the push rods in place and observing them in order as you move the front crank shaft belt pulley wheel clockwise. This can be done by moving the water fan pulley whilst pushing down on the belt between the water pump and lower crank pulley wheel. Do it reeeeal slow, so you can see each rod go down in order. Knowing that 1 5 3 6 2 4 is the order to follow in watching, then, slowly, slowly rotate clockwise until each set of pushrods at each point of the dizzy for each cylinder is down completely. Then bolt down. I do prefer having something to tell me concretely that the piston has reached it's highest point, hence the screwdriver, or even soft rope fed into the chamber.

From what I've gathered from your posts so far, it is NOT just the gas system that is doing this. Anybody who hasn't done this procedure after experiencing the exact same symptoms will reach other conclusions. This is my experience of this problem and I offer it for the sake of no bullshit f#cking around with wild options. Do it right, and you'll get it right.

[Worby876]

Thanks Mate...
You know these threads could make a kinda "Idiots Guide to fixing Bedfords"
which is why these sites are such a great idea eh?

I appreciate the step by step kind paint by numbers approach...cheers

I gather from your instructions that I will need to remove the front Grill and Radiator Shroud...
Possibly even the Radiator to get access to the Water Pump and Fan Belt and get a bit of Purchase
to make the motor turn over.  Theres not much space between the Radiator and the Fan and belts
for Hands and levers and such 

Again I really appreciate your advice and continued interest...I ll keep you all posted on my progress.

[Rothu]

probably just the radiator shroud.

[LS120]

well at least i can see light at the end of my tunnel.....

i stripped my carb down on tuesday & soaked all parts in Kero over night/day.

Cleaned & checked all air and petrol ways in it, all jets & filters.. what alot of C$%^P came out with the Kero 3 times it went from a light blue to Black ..

Re-asembled it as per Yours Dads old Holden page.. just about to bolt on the carb &.. whats that on the bench???

oppssss forgot the top gasget (big one above the fuel chamber... 

would not have been a good look.... 

well put that in & bolted it back on put cables etc... back on..

well what a diffrent Van... before with choke out it would bogg down when you stabbed the peddle but not now.. oh & also check that you put the vacume hose back on the carb also   
test run is today up the hill that i could only do 15km before..

[petrolhead]

Inlet manifold vacume leak?

[Worby876]

Im glad to hear you got it fixed and that Dads info was also a great help.

heres hoping I can make similar progress this weekend in getting the push rods all
set and bedded down in the right order.

Cheers... or is that Kiora bro 

[westy12]

gday, u said it idled smooth on petrol what happened when u revved it? if it runs fine on petrol then its definitely the gas and sounds like water is not getting to the gas converter and its freezing. feel the converter and youll soon know. if it freezes u have no power its happened to me heaps. the water hose to it may have an air lock, easy to fix just pull the hose off and fill it with water. worth a look i reckon way easier than all that lifter biz. thats if its that!! GOOD LUCK!  westy.